


The Logic Extremists

by AmandaG96



Series: The Logic Extremists [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Angst, F/M, FightOrDie, Human, Kidnapping, Logic, LogicExtremists, Torture, Trust, Vulcan, Vulcan Mind Melds, babyblues, postpartum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:06:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26007718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmandaG96/pseuds/AmandaG96
Summary: Amanda expected her first day back at work after Spock's birth to be hard, but she didn't expect it to be a fight for survival when she and Sarek are held captive by logic extremists who are determined to have Sarek see the error of bring a human into their world.
Relationships: Amanda Grayson/Sarek
Series: The Logic Extremists [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1887634
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

My mother told me the first day back at work after having a baby would be hard, but I didn't expect it to be this hard as the thought of leaving my two-month-old baby behind sent my emotions into overdrive. I reluctantly gave the sleeping baby to his nanny and went into the bedroom with my husband to get ready for the day ahead. I fought back yawns of exhaustion as he zipped up my ankle length dark blue dress. As I looked in the mirror, I struggled to accept the new body staring back at me. I was always slender, but seeing my puffy cheeks, a jawline that was no longer visible, my engorged breast, a curved waist and hips made the tears well in my eyes. While I did not regret giving birth to my baby boy for one second, I underestimated the struggle of accepting this new 'mum body' of mine. It didn't help that this dress was really pinching at my mid-section. With my emotions still delicate, I suddenly found myself boiling with anger at the Council. Yes, I should be grateful that they took pity on me and gave me an extra month off of work, and that they are only sending me on day missions for the next 10 months so I can be home at a decent time but, I wanted nothing more than to be with my baby. I wiped the falling tears from my eye as his soft lips pressed against my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Don't…" I sniffed, "My body is…nowhere near back to normal yet"

"I am of the opinion that your physical appearance remains exceptional since the birth of our son". I smile peaked from the corner of my mouth, _you're supposed to say that, you're my husband._

_On the contrary, I-_

Hearing the fussing baby made me rush into the sitting room. Linnea, Spock's nanny, cradled the now fussy bundle in her arms. I took him from her arms and held him upright against my chest,

"Oh, my lovie. It's alright". I rocked him gently as his head nuzzled against the soft fabric against my chest.

With each noise, I felt the moisture in my breast start to seep out. I looked up at the clock: 6.45AM. _15 minutes. Do I have time to feed him and pump before 7.00AM?_

"Yes, you do," the rough monotone voice spoke in the doorway, I turned to see my husband standing in middle of the doorway. "…but you must hurry. The ship is set to leave directly at 7.30. We must not keep Ambassador Sovol waiting".

"Of course, not" I carried the child to the sofa, and with some assistance with my dress I sat down and began to feed him. With my hand cradling his bum, I patted it gently as he sucked hungrily. As I looked down, I couldn't help but admire how much he had grown in the past two months since his birth. It is true what they say, they do grow up so fast. He was such a good baby and hardly ever fussed unnecessarily but sleeping through the night…that was still a challenge. I covered another yawn and almost dozed off a couple times before noticing his sucking becoming slower, I looked down to see that he had fallen asleep. I stood up as Sarek walked over, and with Linnea's help, she zipped me back in my dress.

"Remember Linnea, once he wakes up, he will need a bottle to top him up, I'm promised that we will be home no later than 8PM. There's enough formula and breast milk in the refrigeration unit and if he gets fussy hold him to your chest, he likes to hear the sound of your heart, oh and…"

"Amanda" his voice calm and reassuring "I'm sure Linnea is aware of how to handle the situation at hand. May I remind you she has been watching you care for the child every day for the last two months".

"I know, I know" I turned around carrying the sleeping baby over to his father.

"Would you like to say goodbye?" I asked, he was not very hands on with Spock, but he did give me a break whenever I asked. He took the sleeping baby gently in his arms and held him for just a brief moment before handing him back to his Nanny.

"Please call if you need anything," I said, feeling the tears well in my eyes once more "my communicator will be on".

"Of course, my Lady. I promise Spock is in the best hands possible."

His hand caressed my arm gently, "Amanda, we must be going now."

After planting another kiss on the sleeping baby's head, and some last-minute calming words from Linnea, he ushered me out the door and into the car. As the car turned out of the driveway, the tears ran down my cheek.

"I'm going to miss him." I sniffed, wiping the tears away.

I must admit I admired my husband for his patience with me for the last year, with the difficult pregnancy and now the emotions of having a new baby he seriously deserves more than a medal, he needed a goddamn trophy. If I wasn't crying about one thing, I was crying about another and if I wasn't crying about one thing or another, I was likely angry. The doctors and midwives said that due to the pregnancy my hormones will likely be raging for another couple of months. But they said that just after he was born, and I seriously hoped for my husband's sake that they level out soon. I sensed the annoyance in his voice as he spoke,

"We shall return to Spock in 14 hours, 3 minutes, and 26 seconds."

"I know. I know," I sniffed, "I'm sorry, I just can't stop worrying" I placed my handkerchief in my pocket.

"The healer said that your hormones will still not be steady for at least another couple of months"

"I know. And I'm sorry. I know this is not easy for you." I turned to him and placed my hand gently on top of his, "I know I have not been easy with all of my emotions. I'm sorry."

"There is no logical reason for you to apologise for matters that are out of your control, Amanda"

"Do you hate me?"

"Why would you ask such a query?"

"Because you haven't slept in the same bed with me since Spock was born, and we haven't been… as close as before"

"Amanda, you have been through a stressful physical ordeal that requires months of healing. The healer suggested that I take my sleep elsewhere to provide you with adequate time to heal."

I couldn't help but scoff, this sounded straight up ridiculous. "So, you have been sleeping on the sofa for the last two months because the doctor said that I need time to heal?"

"You are correct."

"Sarek," I turned my body towards him, my other hand now resting on his arm. "The doctor is not your wife. I am, and I don't see any logical reason for you to be sleeping on the sofa at night."

He said nothing, he simply looked ahead.

"My love, you don't need to sleep out on the sofa. I am, physically, fully recovered from giving birth. Even then, there was no logical reason for you to be sleeping on the sofa. You know, studies have shown that partners heal significantly quicker if they share a bed with their partners. I would appreciate it very much if you join me back in bed."

But he simply ignored me. He continued to look ahead. I sighed in defeat and felt the tears well in my eyes once more. He hated seeing me cry so I held them back and I knew, rationally, that they were most likely unnecessary. The rest of the car ride to the Embassy was quiet and once we arrived, we were ushered into the waiting room near the launch pad and were briefed on this morning's mission by Ambassador Savol. He was an elder member of the Council, roughly eighty human years old but nonetheless wise.

"During the duration of your mission, you shall be equipped with a new Pilot and Personal Assistant-"

"I'm sorry, Ambassador." I interrupted, "I thought that we did not need personal assistants being only a day mission".

"Lady Amanda, Mr. George Bathory is new to the Embassy." His voice was stern, and I could hear in his voice that my comments had caused some offense, "It is my understanding that he requested a mission of short duration to become more familiar with the skills required to lead future diplomatic missions. It is my understanding that the crew operating the ship have obtained the highest test scores in every required examination."

George, a human!? And on Vulcan? I'm sorry, come again? I couldn't help but feel confused. You must understand, we hardly had any humans on Vulcan, the climate usually turned them away from working on the planet. With temperatures during the summer easily reaching over 40 degrees Celsius, it took months and months of begging to get Felix and Linnea to come to Vulcan. Besides, one must endure frequent injections from doctors to become accustomed to the climate and change of gravity on Vulcan, and merely mentioning this sends people running away. I couldn't help but feel worried as an unsettling feeling rose in my stomach.

"I see." I said simply, as I was in no position to argue any further with my superiors.

The door opened and in came two men. A Vulcan and a human. Though I was primarily focused on the human who walked in behind the Vulcan, who upon seeing me extended his hand. I must admit I was quite excited to shake hands, for it had been a while since I last introduced myself to someone new – it felt good to be back. I took his hand and shook it. He was young, I estimated around twenty-one or twenty-two years old. He was quite tall too, I estimated about 6'0", and he had short dirty blonde hair. His eyes beamed with excitement as he stood in traditional Vulcan robes looking at my husband and I as if we were celebrities. Well, on Earth apparently, we were… that's still something I'm not yet accustomed to.

"Mr. Ambassador and Mrs. Sarek. I am…I am… very excited to be given this opportunity". Oh, he was certainly new! He reminded me of a giddy schoolboy who had touched a woman's breast for the first time. Even with that thought I fought myself to smile,

"Not Mrs. Sarek. Please, Lady Amanda." There was something odd about being called Mrs. Sarek. It sent a cold shiver down my spine, it made it seem like he owned me. Brr! I turned to the Vulcan man. He was also young, around the same age as the human, and with dark brown hair cut in the traditional Vulcan way. He bowed upon entering, and with his hands clasped behind his back he listened as my husband started to brief him about the journey.

We were ushered onto the launch pad where I waited with the unsettling assistant by my side with Sarek just inches away speaking with Ambassador Soval for the last-minute remarks. My heart raced a million times a minute with his boy by my side, as this unsettling feeling got stronger and stronger in the pit of my stomach.

"I understand you are a new mother." His voice broke me from my concentration, "It was on the news back on Earth. My congratulations."

He was beaming, I turned to see his green eyes staring at me. They seemed to almost be piercing through my soul sending a cold shiver down my spine. His dirty blonde hair slicked back reminded me of some kind of evil villain from a TV show I watched back on Earth years ago and his smile was oddly off-putting. I snapped my head back to the front, looking at the ship in front of me being prepped. _Jesus freaking Christ please stop talking to me._ I screamed in my head.

"Ugh… yes. Thank you."

 _Please for the love of god, do not ask any more questions._ I thought in a sing-song-way. _You are so crazy, Crazy, crazy, crazy little sh-_

"How old is the child, if I may ask?"

 _Oh Jesus._ Do I lie? Do I simply not respond? I couldn't be rude, could I? Well, I was already being rude a little more won't hurt, would it? I took a deep breath and decided at the last minute to tell the truth, perhaps it would make him shut up.

"He is two months old. This is my first mission since his birth."

"I see. I don't have any children myself, but I can only imagine how hard it must be to leave them alone. You must be very sad leaving him for the first time."

I cleared my throat. Bo _y this was uncomfortable._

A disinterested "Indeed" was all I could be bothered to muster, and after a moment of awkward silence, Sarek came into view.

"Wife." he extended his two forefingers,

"Husband." I accepted and touched his with mine. Together we walked down the launchpad and to the ship. Passing the Pilot at the control desk, I quickly went into our quarters which was located in the back of the ship. The room was very spacious with a large sitting room with sofas and chairs, a bed and even a decent size kitchen. Finding my bag on the bed, I slipped into the bathroom and closed the door opening my communicator to make a quick call. I paced about the bathroom throughout the phone call.

_"Linnea?"_

The soft Danish voice of my old friend on the other end of the line was calm as she spoke.

_"Amanda, everything is well. Spock is still sleeping in his pram beside me"_

_"Are you on the sofa?"_

_"Yes, I am on the sofa"_

_"Ok. I hear it is going to be hot today. If he gets too hot, you can always unbundle him from the blanket."_

_"Manda" she said sternly. "I promise you all will be well. Spock will be just fine."_

_"I know, I know."_ I felt the tears well in my eyes again, but I sniffed them away, it wasn't Linnea, believe me it wasn't. I trusted Linnea, but I couldn't help but worry with all the logic extremists running around that something could happen. It took nine gruelling months to get him here and I'd be damned if they get hold of him now.

_"I'm so sorry, 'Nea It's not you… I just worry because... with so many of those people it's..."_

_"I know 'Manda, but security is all around the house and there are two guards at the door. Besides, do you really think the Embassy would just give away your address all willy-nilly to people?"_

_"I don't know Linnea. But the Embassy says that those people are getting crafty, there has been rumours of them finding jobs at the Embassy to get closer to pe-"_

A light knock against the door startled me. "Sarek!" I called out, but after a couple seconds there was no response.

_"One moment, Linnea"_

"N-No… Mrs-Lady Amanda. It is George, your assistant. We are preparing for take-off and the Captain has asked for you to kindly take your seat."

"Okay, I will be right there" I sighed hearing the fear radiate through my voice,

_"I must go Linnea. Thank you so much again, and… I'm sorry."_

_"I will quote your husband and say that your apology is illogical. Now go and at least try and have a good time out of the house. Spock and I will be fine"_

_"Okay. Give him a kiss for me for me when he wakes up. Bye"_

_"Bye"_

I ended the call and placed my communicator in my pocket before opening the door, I was startled to see the human just inches away from the door. He jumped back; and I suddenly realized that he was listening in on my call _. How long was he there? What did he hear?_ I felt the anger rise in my stomach.

"How long have you been listening?" I blurted out. His face dropped, and he suddenly looked like a deer in headlights. Being with Sarek for many years taught me how to read my fellow humans, after all it was merely facial twitches and minor changes in the facial features but beyond the point this kid was a terrible lair and it showed. Busted, you little shit.

"Lady Amanda, I assure you that I did not-"

"Of course, you were, or you wouldn't have been startled. How long have you been listening!?" I heard the sharpness and anger in my voice, while I was certainly much shorter than the boy I walked him further into room with each word "Do I have to remind you that the punishment of eavesdropping on an authorized phone call?"

"No, Lady Amanda. I…"

"Amanda." Sarek's voice sternly called from the doorway. I turned to see the stern, yet confused face of my husband as he stood in the doorway with his arms clasped in front. "We are about to take off. The captain has asked that you, again, take your seat."

I turned back to the boy, there was something seriously wrong about this boy. And it was becoming more and more apparent. Out of the corner of his mouth, a small twinge was seen. I felt my hand fold into a fist, _I'm watching you, you little f-_

"Amanda!"

Reluctantly I turned and rushed out of the room and took my seat behind the Captain prepared for take-off.

I tried to keep my concerned voice at a low level as we stood in middle of our quarters having finally entered warp. I had no idea if this personal assistant was listening in, but I had more than enough reason to believe he most likely was and I had finally had enough. There were already too many red flags. I paced the length of the sofa as Sarek spoke,

"Your actions towards the man were illogical and short sighted."

"Illogical, illogical!? Sarek, he was listening in on my conversation with Linnea in the bathroom. That is a violation of privacy and in training…"

"You cannot be for certain, Amanda."

"When I trained three years ago to become your PA, The. First. Thing. Mrs. Parr told me is the consequences of violating the privacy a Diplomat. And while I'm fully aware I am not a Diplomat, as your wife the rules extend to me…"

"I understand your concern, I shall make certain to remind Mr. Bathory to show more delicacy in the future."

I tried to speak rationally, but I was growing more and more irritated. Why wasn't he listening to me? I had to admit while his suggestion was reasonable, I still did not trust this guy. "That would be logical" I found myself almost forcing the response before continuing "...but I'm telling you I do not trust him. Something does not seem right with him."

"I would like to bring to your attention the references of Mr…"

References? To hell with references! People make that shit up all the time to get better jobs, references are irrelevant.

"Oh, and that's another thing." I interrupted, "Don't you think it's odd that we, all of a sudden, have a new pilot? We've always had the same Pilot for the last year, and now all of a sudden this newbie comes in." I found myself reciting my handbook I had memorized years prior when I, myself, was in PA training. "On page 34 of the handbook given during training it states clearly that It is customary that Diplomats have only advanced personnel attending and operating on every diplomatic mission no matter how insignificant the mission may be."

"I understand." His voice was still calm, and it only irritated me more. Why was he not seeing the warning signs? "Upon further word with Ambassador Soval, he concluded that the Pilot V'Lik graduated the first of his class and that Mr. Bathory credentials are exception…"

He wasn't listening to me; this was all just nonsense. Credentials be damned, test scores be damned something was not right! I walked forward and reached my arms out and started to caress his gently, _please, Sarek, please listen to me_. I focused on softening my voice as I took in a breath.

"Sarek" but my voice was not as soft as I'd like. I took in another breath and force it "I am telling you something is not right. This doesn't feel right. They don't feel right."

He maintained his usual demeanour as he looked at me. "Are you implying that Ambassador Soval would intentionally put us in harm's way?"

"Of course not. I'm…"

"Or that the Council would put us in danger?"

"No Sarek, please listen. You know that's not…"

"Your actions are merely influenced on your mental instability, the Vulcan and Human healers have said that you are still prone to frequent imbalances of mood which to my understanding can often include paranoia".

I couldn't help but feel a deep pain in my chest as his words seemed to fall so easily from his mouth. Mental instability. That hurt. I simply looked at it for a moment feeling a large lump well in my throat, my voice shook with tears as I forced the words from my mouth,

"That hurt." I sniffed, "That really hurt. You know I can't control this" I suddenly felt anger brew and my words started to spit out "but my mental instability has nothing to do with with the matters at hand. There are warning signs and you are not listening, I don't have to remind you that you are a skilled Diplomat who has been in this field for more than 20's years, you know the rules Sarek. You can't tell me that this does not seem right! Have you forgotten what occurred on the doorsteps of the Embassy five months ago" I forced myself to soften as I continued "I'm telling you with the Logic Extremists out there we have to be more vigilant!"

He simply looked at me, his body was relaxed, he didn't even seem the least bit angry or unmoved. I wiped the tears from my cheeks, and continued "So no, it's not because of my 'mental instability'."

Reaching around my chest, I unclasped the blue diamond shaped pendant from my neck. He presented it to me for our one-year anniversary, it is something I had seldom taken off since he gave to me, but now… well, if everything I said was just because of mental instability. I tossed the charm on the sofa beside me.

I turned around and walked out of the room. I only managed a couple of steps down the hall before stopping and leaning against the wall. I took several deep breaths as the tears continued to flow, tears that I could not stop. After a moment, I wiped my cheeks and continued to walk down the corridor. As I reach the deck, I stopped in my tracks as I was rounded the corner as I heard the Pilot speak. As I was about to turn away, I felt my heart dropped in fear as I heard,

"His fascination with humans can no longer be tolerated. Her death will make him see the error of his ways."

A voice from behind made me jump, "It seems that our conversation is no longer private".

I turned around seeing the blonde haired, human behind me. His dark green eyes pierced through mine. How the hell did he get there so fast? I looked down seeing a phaser in his hand. I knew that thing could be used for three things: Kill, Stun, or Disintegrate. I quickly tried to go through the colours in my head, but what were they?! From behind I felt a hand and before I could react a sharp pinch in the caress of my shoulder and neck made my vision blur, I felt my body give out from under me and then... there was only darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sarek:**

He watched his human wife angrily turn on her heels and storm out the room. Over the last year, her human healer had warned him to take everything she said with a pinch of salt (whatever the hell that meant) due to her hormonal instability. He had hoped that it wouldn't happen, but he was mistaken and slightly alarmed when, in her sixth month of pregnancy, Amanda began to experience what all Vulcan women do when the child begins the crucial stage of emotional development in utero.

Vulcan females tend to go through periods of sporadic changes of mood, but these changes are often dealt with by repression. However, Amanda was different, she did not hold the skill to repress enough and therefore she had a very hard time coping with the developing emotions of a half-Vulcan child.

While one minute she was happy and the next, he would find her in the kitchen smashing China on the floor in an attempt to release her anger. While he kept a close eye on his wife, he simply thought that it would pass with time and it was nothing to worry about, but it wasn't until after another burst of anger, as he held his crying wife in his arms on the kitchen floor late at night, that he realized that something had to be done.

So, in order to calm his hormonal wife, he would often meld with her to calm her and keep her unpredictable emotions under control. He had expected this to go away after the birth of the child, like it does in Vulcan females, but Amanda was, of course, different. During the first week of Spock's birth after many tears and a couple more mood swings, her Vulcan healer said that she would likely be emotionally strained for yet another couple of months until her emotions return to normal. It was highly suggested by both of her healers that Sarek find another suitable place to rest to not only protect him from his wife's unpredictable outbursts, but to give her time physically to heal. He was not one to argue with healers, so he did what was suggested… unfortunately without consulting his wife who, apparently, had a very different opinion on the matter as he found out earlier on the way to Embassy.

Due to the frequent melding during her pregnancy, their bond was significantly strong, but now since Spock came along, he felt their bond begin to fade due to him requiring Amanda's consistent attention at all hours of the day. Even after his relocation to the sofa, Sarek had gotten very little sleep since the child was born and while he could certainly handle less sleep than his human wife, after two months, he began to feel it take its toll. He was less focused at work and as a result, this forced him to bring the remaining work home with him during the evening, he was less focused during his daily meditations, and he felt like his years of logic and patience was being tested with each passing day.

Despite all of this, he wouldn't dare tell her of his discomfort and despair as he knew she, not only, had enough to deal with as it was, but the thought of aggravating her already compromised mental status made him fear that yet another mug would end in the rubbish bin.

While she was no longer in the room, he continued to feel her erratic emotions through their bond. He couldn't help but feel a slight sting in his heart as he picked up the thick black chain from the sofa and placed it in his breast pocket. He took a seat, placed his hands on his legs and for the next couple of minutes, he began to repress all the emotions felt, both his and the ones felt through their bond. As he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, he reminded himself none of this was Amanda's fault, or the child's. He loved her, he loved her very much and he loved his child… but he could not say it, he wouldn't dare, as it was simply not the Vulcan way. He only hoped that, in his gestures and actions, Amanda knew how much he cared for her, and that as he grew that Spock would know it too. As he focused on their earlier conversation, he soon realized that his words in response were perhaps harsh for his human wife. Still his mind kept focusing back to his wife's concerns, and tried to see the reason for her concern, however, he had the utmost respect for Ambassador Soval, and he knew that he would never intentionally put him and her in harms way, but her words kept running through his head.

_"Don't you think it's odd that we, all of a sudden, have a new pilot?_

_"On page 34 of the handbook given during training it states clearly that it is customary that Diplomats have only advanced personnel attending and operating on every diplomatic mission no matter how insignificant the mission may be."_

_"Sarek, I am telling you something is not right. This doesn't seem right. They don't seem right!_ H _e was listening in on my conversation with Linnea in the bathroom. That is a violation of priv-"_

As an overwhelming sense of fear quickly grew in his stomach, he drew in a deep breath preparing to repress when a dull pinch in between in the caress of his shoulder and neck made his eyes shoot open. As he looked around the room and realized that was, in fact, still empty he realized that the pain was not his, but Amanda's. As quickly as the feeling came… it went, and suddenly all his wife's lingering emotions that were so strongly coursing through his mind went away. He had always felt her in his mind, somewhere, but now… he knew something wasn't right.

"Amanda" he muttered before shooting up from the sofa, running through the door and down the corridor. Her scent lingered through the corridor but stopped as he reached the empty deck. He tried to call her through their bond, finding himself almost yelling. _Amanda! Amanda! Amanda!_ … but, she did not respond. It was much too late when he realized that perhaps his wife was not paranoid, as the pilot should always be stationed at the console and he was not there. That was, as his wife worded it, 'odd'. He moved to the centre console and sat down in the pilot's chair and began attempting to reach the Federation when suddenly a sharp pinch at the curve of his neck and shoulder made his body go numb, everything started to blur and then… darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Amanda:**

White. White walls stared at me from all directions, a cold white floor was under me and three white pillars were placed evenly in this room, with me being tied to fourth. I was horrified to wake up and find my dress no longer on my body, and only my white chemise covered me. The pins in my hair were gone and my hair laid loose past my chest.

Over the past hour, I had tried to reach Sarek thought our bond, but he was silent. A part of me worried that he was dead, but if he were, surely, I'd would feel nothing. His presence in my mind would be gone, but I still felt him, his presence, his calmness, and therefore he was still alive, he had to be.

I had given up trying to figure out where I was in the ship, or if we were even still on our ship. At first, I thought the boiler room or the mechanical room, but those were quickly debunked as it was just a plain white room with four pillars. I sat on the ground; my wrists tied above my head spending the last hour trying to loosen my wrists from the rope. I pulled my legs close and curled them inward, propping myself on my hunches while moving my wrist up and down trying to create some kind of give in the rope.

As the rope finally began to loosen, the door opened. I moved my wrists back to their position as the blonde-haired man walked in the room with an evil smile across his lips,

"I must admit, you are full of surprises."

I couldn't help but think it both weird and opportune as he started to pace slowly throughout the room. His words were meaningless and quickly left my ears as he spoke them, I just studied his movements- both the way he moved and how fast he walked. Sarek had mentioned that this was important during an event of kidnapping. The conversation echoed in my ear, he explained how after some quick calculations, one can determine anywhere from if they had enough time to run, to the weakness of their abductor. I focused on escaping and I started to time his steps. _One step, two step, three step, middle pillar. One, two, three, back wall. One, two, three, middle pillar. One, two, three, front wall._

The door was directly in front of me, I estimated I could run to the door in 6 long steps. I could escape as he was at the back wall, but upon calculating his estimated pace, he would still be too fast. And I hadn't even taken into considerations that my hands were still tied.

"But seriously though" His rising tone jerked me from thought, "what gave it away?"

_You don't make it hard, asshole…_ but I was in no mood to humor him, he wanted me to talk. He wanted me to give in. As the silent moments passed, he walked closer and bent down in front of me. His cologne, it was so strong it made my head hurt.

"Oh, come on" he continued, I really wanted to slap that patronizing tone right out of his mouth. Jeez, it was so annoying. His lips curled into a frown, "Aren't you gonna talk? If you're good I might let you see your 'husband' a bit sooner".

I simply looked at him, I felt my eyes shooting daggers into his. He didn't scare me; he was just a weak little man. Clearly these logic extremists are just using him, and I couldn't help but think who would be stupid enough to side with them, after all it's not like Earth News didn't broadcast the events on Vulcan.

I drew in a deep breath,

"Where is Sarek?"

He formed a mischievous smile, "Oh, don't you worry about him. We will let you two say goodbye..."

My heart sank, instant fear filled my body. _They gonna kill me. That's what all of this is for._ Tears started to fill my eyes and drop quicker than I could stop them. He stood up and found a pillar and leaned up against it.

"Oh, come on! Don't be so dramatic! If you're good, I'll make it quick. No pain, you'll just fall asleep".

I don't know what it was, maybe it was the ache in my breast, but I suddenly felt determined. I couldn't fathom leaving Spock alone, without me. I wasn't going to give him the chance to kill me.

"You know" He scoffed, "I've always wondered, what is it about him anyway?" he continued "Is it the ears that turn you on or is it the uniform, I just don't get it"

My stomach turned with disgust. Why would he ask such questions? I turned my head away and drew in a sharp breath fighting to urge to punch him. He continued

"You honestly think he loves you?"

But I refused to speak. Hands wrapped around my chin and pulled my face around. His hand swung and slammed against my cheek. The stinging radiated throughout my whole cheek. His next words were incoherent, it was only when he bent back down and moved my hair back from my face that I heard

"Look at you. Seriously who could ever love you?"

I couldn't help but chuckle, this dude was not well trained, even with the pain in my face he wasn't going to break me. Frankly, he sucked at this too much to even try and break me. Finding solace in reminding myself that he was merely a puppet, and a stupid one, I thought of him with the strings on his limbs being moved the pilot. I looked at him and said,

"He loves me, I suppose that's one person more than you've ever known."

He stood up and pulled me to my feet, he clenched his fist and a large blow to the jaw flung my body sideways. As he pulled me back to face him, I pulled my knee up and hit right in between his legs. He fell to the ground as my wrists finally slipped loose from the rope. I ran to the door, but it wouldn't open, pulling and pulling it wouldn't budge. Arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled me down to the ground.

* * *

**Sarek:**

He opened his eyes, immediately seeing a blue forcefield in front of him. Any thought of escape dissipated as he knew there was no way for him to disable the forcefield in front of him. As he made his way to his feet, he was relieved to sense that her feelings that once seemed ripped away had returned. He couldn't help but be relieved in knowing that she was at least alive, but as he drew in a deep breath, a dull blow ran across his abdomen. While he thought it was possibly a minor injury of his own, he quickly realized upon a slight sting upon his cheek that it wasn't his injuries, but Amanda's.

After years of repression, it had become second nature, but the knowledge of his wife being hurt made anger build from deep inside him. He drew in a breath and forced himself to repress while he paced through his cell trying desperately to reach his wife through their bond.

_Amanda, Amanda, Amanda!_

But she was silent.

An even toned voice broke him from thought forcing him to turn towards the voice, the young Vulcan Pilot walked closer to the forcefield.

"Ambassador Sarek"

He unclenched his fists and walked up to the forcefield, now face to face with their abductor.

"You are one of them." He found himself almost forcing the calm tone "A fanatic."

His arms were clasped in front as he stood in a perfect upright position. "Humans have blinded you to the truth. Your obsession has gone on long enough."

As their conversation continued, he studied his captor. As Sarek would slowly pace to the other side of the cubicle, he would time when the abductor would follow suit. Equations formed of how long it took him to get from one side to the other, as he took note of the multiple exits in the room. He quickly realized that if he couldn't somehow get the forcefield to be disabled, all of this thinking would be illogical.

"Ambassador Soval can trace a great deal of information back to his subordinates, but he can't trace all, as I am sure you are aware".

He wasn't sure if it was his or Amanda's, but he couldn't help but he felt an overwhelming surge of fear through his body. As the conversation continued, it appeared that his wife's concerns about the extremists finding a way into the Embassy were valid, and he realized that he had been surely mistaken.

"Where is Amanda?" Sarek asked hinting a tinge of concern in his voice.

"She is with our human."

Sarek suddenly found himself confused, what logical reason would these fanatics enlist the help of a human if they believe them to be so inferior to them?

He continued to pace, slowly, from one end of his cell to the other. The young Vulcan followed suit, before walking to the console in the middle of the room.

"Humans are not as intelligent as our race" The young Vulcan explained, "They will do things simply for materialistic gratifications without question of the tasks at hand. I will admit my error in selecting an incompetent, brainless human. However, we needed someone to carry out matters of... a certain kind with your human".

Fear ran through Sarek's chest. As he stopped in his tracks he tried feverishly to focus on his wife once more, he needed to hear her voice, to know what was going on. Despite his efforts, there was still silence. Instead, he felt another blow to the abdomen. His hands curled into a fist, he felt his heart start to beat fast he drew in a deep breath and asked

"What things do you speak of?"

"You have been contaminated, Ambassador. When a Vulcan is afflicted by disease, curing him is – logical. Wouldn't you agree?"

The young Vulcan reached over the console, pressing the white intercom button. His words echoed through Sarek's cell and even throughout the whole ship.

"Bring her here"


	4. Chapter 4

He watched as his wife was escorted into the room by the blonde-haired human. Even through the blue forcefield he could see that she was no longer in her dress. She was hunched forward, and her hair covered her face as Bathory held her bound arms behind her back. He forced himself not to think of another man disrobing his mate, leaving her in only her white underdress, it only made the anger worse.

As she was ushered closer to the forcefield, her emotions and feelings flooded Sarek's body. Through their bond, he could feel pain. While he expected to feel fear, he was surprised when he did not feel any. Sarek walked up to the forcefield and stood in front of the pair.

"Come on, Amanda," Bathory said in a patronizing tone, "Show your husband how beautiful you look".

Sarek felt his hand snake around the back of her head. He grabbed a handful of hair and pulled her head up. For the first time since this whole ordeal he was face to face with his wife. He was horrified to see her face bruised and bloody with trickles of blood running down her nose.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and Sarek knew that tears meant sadness. But these tears were different. Through their bond, he could feel no sadness. He was only able to conclude that the overwhelming feeling of anger didn't just belong to him, but also to his wife. He drew in a breath and began to repress.

"What do you think, Ambassador Sarek?" Bathory continued "Like my handiwork?"

As her breath became quick and sharp, he watched as she began to struggle against Bathory's grip. Anger that he tried to repress returned and began to boil over as Bathory's hand swung across Amanda's face. She fell to the ground, and he kicked her in the midsection. A blow that almost made Sarek himself double over from.

"Enough!" The young Vulcan commanded.

Bathory grabbed Amanda by the arms and pulled her back up to her feet. With his hand just above her elbows, he forced her closer, almost pressing her body against the blue forcefield.

He looked down at his wife and fought to regulate his now evaluated heart rate. He bent down to her and for a moment wondered why all his attempts to reach her had gone unanswered, but none of that mattered now. He drew in a deep breath and focused. They were mere inches away from each other now, she must be able to hear him now.

_Amanda._ He focused _. Amanda. Can you hear me?_

There was silence, he watched as she closed her eyes and drew in a painful breath.

_Yes._ Her voice echoed through his mind. It sent a wave of relief through him. _Yes! I hear you._

_The control panel is to the right. I will lead the Vulcan to the left, but you must find a way to disable the forcefield. There is no other way, you must do it._

The only fear that he sensed from her began to build within him. He knew that he was asking a lot from her, but he knew that he could not help if he were still trapped behind the forcefield. Tears ran down her cheeks, and after a moment she sent:

_Okay._

He stood up and began to walk to the left side of the cell.

"Tell me." He kept his eye on the pilot who stood in the middle of the forcefield. "What do you plan to do with my wife?"

The Vulcan turned and followed him slowly to the far-left side of his cell.

"Despite prior attempts, you have failed to see the error in bringing a human onto our planet and into our affairs".

The Vulcan stopped at the edge of the cell

"It is only logical that her death will make you see the error of your ways."

A sharp groan from Bathory jolted Sarek from thought, but he kept his stance towards his captor. Suddenly the blue forcefield in front of him lowered, and before him stood his young, and now unprotected, captor.

Sarek clenched his fist as the anger overtook his body. He jumped out of the cell towards the Vulcan and the two began to fight. The Vulcan had his youth, but Sarek had years more years of knowledge and strength.

Dodging the Vulcan's blow, he was able to get the upper hand and wrapped his arm around the Vulcan's neck. Suddenly, the breath felt like it was being squeezed from him, he looked over to see Bathory on top of Amanda, feverishly struggling underneath him. With a twist of his neck, the Vulcan fell to the ground and Sarek rushed over to the man and pulled him off his gasping and kicking wife.

He inhaled sharply as his breath returned and held the man away from his body. He knew that he could easily kill this man, human bones were so delicate compared to Vulcans'. Blind rage coursed through his veins. This man had hurt his mate. He had tried to murder her. He wanted him to suffer. His hands closed around Bathory's neck.

He watched Bathory struggle and kick his legs. He reached out his arms, trying to reach Sarek's shoulders, but the strength quickly left Bathory and soon he stopped struggling and his body fell limp.

Sarek released his grip and watched the man fall to the ground. The anger that was so strong started to fade from his body, his heart continued to beat rapidly as he took several deep breaths and tried to regulate his rage.

"Sarek..." Her voice was light and full of pain.

He looked down at his disheveled wife and immediately rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her. Slowly he rolled her onto her back and held her weight in his arms as she held her aching abdomen. Whatever anger was left in him suddenly disappeared and was replaced with concern as he looked down at her face. For the first time, he fully took in her injuries. There was blood on her lips and nose. Her cheeks were a reddish-bluish color and her hair was soaked in sweat.

He scooped her up in his arms and quickly left the room. She groaned and moaned with each pain as he carried her through the corridor and up the stairs. Finally reaching the deck, he sat her down in the Co-pilots chair before sitting in the Captain's chair. After a moment, he finally was able to make contact with the Federation.

" _Federation to Ship 534. Do you copy?"_

"Ship 534 to Federation. There has been a hostage situation. I am entering the coordinates to the Embassy for our return."

" _Do you require medical attention, Ambassador Sarek?"_

"My wife requires medical attention."

After programming the transport system, he turned to Amanda, who was slumped in her seat. He realized that he needed to treat her injuries now, forty-five minutes was too long. So, he lifted her from her chair and laid her on the floor in the middle of the deck.

He rushed down the corridor and retrieved the emergency medical bag. He bent down beside her, opened the bag, and found the medical tricorder. He powered it up and scanned her body.

He stared at the screen as it displayed her injuries as: three broken ribs, moderate face trauma, a bruised kidney and a concussion.

He reached further into the bag and retrieved the bone knitter. While he turned it on, he couldn't help but be relieved that his wife laid there unconscious as he wouldn't wish what she was about to experience on anyone (except maybe Pilot and Human). Setting bones was never easy or pleasant, and ribs were always the most painful. After lifting the white fabric, he pressed the knitter to each of her broken ribs and set them.

After powering off the knitter, he rescanned her body with the tricorder. Her vitals were elevated but stable. He reached into the bag and pulled out a black warming blanket and covered her hoping to preserve both her body heat and her dignity once they finally returned to the Embassy. As he pulled the blanket to her chin, she started to mumble.

"Amanda" He caressed her forehead, "Amanda can you hear me?"

"Ahla…Alah…"

"What is it?" He asked,

"Ahla… I love you"

A statement she has confessed many times. He tucked the sides of the blanket under her. "You must rest now". He said, forcing a softness to his tone.

He didn't know if it was because of her injuries or if she was scared but she kept repeating it, over and over. Her eyes were still closed, and she moved her head from side to side moaning lightly in pain.

He sat by her side and watched her throughout the forty-five-minute journey back to the Embassy. He continued to caress her forehead in an attempt to keep her calm. As she drifted back to sleep, he looked at her as she slept realizing just how much he cared for her. He bent down, his lips just inches away from her ear and said softly.

"I love you, too."


	5. Chapter 5

"There should be no lasting effects from her injuries," a female monotone voice spoke, "Your wife will experience some discomfort for the next couple of weeks, her discomfort can be eased with the pain medicine prescribed."

The smell of the sanitation products ran up my nose before I even opened my eyes. As I opened my eyes the familiar offset white walls made me realize I was indeed in the hospital. I turned my head and was overcome with relief seeing Linnea sitting in the chair beside me cradling Spock in her arms. Sharp pain in my face quickly stopped my smile from forming anymore. I brushed my tongue across my upper lip, quickly wincing at the pain. As my body began to wake, the soreness started to set in. My cheeks…my ribs…my back.

I watched the baby begin to squirm and squeal, and within seconds I felt the moisture in my breast begin to seep out. I held my hand to my chest feeling the painful ache from my engorged breasts. I extended my other arm to her, the tubes of my IV following.

She looked up, I saw the relief wash over her face as she reached out and held my hand. "It's alright" she said with a light voice. "Try not to move". She leaned forward and moved the blanket away to reveal a squirming little Spock. His mouth was moving in a sucking motion and his little head moved from side to side in frustration. "Spock is alright" she continued. "He's fine".

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Sarek" greeted a female voice, "Do you remember the events that lead you to be in the hospital?"

Mrs. Sarek. God, I hate that. The soreness in my neck began to set in. I turned my head to the best of my ability. She stood next to Sarek just feet away from Linnea. His arms were behind his back, he was wearing different robes than before, and his hair was slicked back. Nonetheless, I am happy to see that he was alright.

I turned to the doctor and couldn't help but notice her awkward appearance. Her ears were pointed slightly higher than Sarek's. Her facial expression seemed to be a mixture of both disgust and concern. Her Vulcan haircut and young face made her look more like a little girl playing dress up than a doctor.

"Yes." I began, surprised at how raspy and rough my voice sounded. I felt phlegm stuck in the back of my throat.

"I…" but just the force of trying to clear my throat made me flinch in pain. My aching ribs seemed to radiate down my legs. Twisting my face in pain made a sharp pain shoot through my cheeks. Instead of trying to speak anymore, I simply nodded.

"You will experience some discomfort for some time during physical activity. Your injuries consist of three broken three ribs and a bruised kidney…"

She went on to explain that I also had some heavy bruising to the face, that I was rather lucky given the situation, and that she was surprised that I did not have any major injuries. However, I was hardly listening, I was more in tuned with the squirming and cooing baby Linnea held. I felt moisture continue to seep from breasts.

"My…chest…" I groaned.

I was surprised at how much effort it took to even get a couple of words out, it was like running a marathon. Before I could finish the doctor came over and pulled my hand away from my chest. She looked concerned, but I suppose the sight of my leaking breasts made her realize that I wasn't complaining about a possible heart attack. I saw her face relax as she glanced at the now fussing baby.

"It seems that the child needs to be feed. I suggest adjusting to the right side of your body for more comfort. The child can then be placed in the caress of your arm so he can receive his evening meal".

Her choice of words made me chuckle in my mind, 'his evening meal'. Haha. Like he was a little man at the dinner table waiting for soup.

The look on the doctor's face while helping me adjust to the right side of my body was one of discomfort. She took the utmost of care when touching me, it was rather awkward to say the least. While she was a doctor, she was Vulcan, and any form of physical contact often came with an extreme reaction of discomfort.

After a couple of minutes, I was able to adjust to the right side of my body. While the pain was still there, it was not nearly as strong as it was when I was on my back as I was able to put most of my weight on my hip. I could even breathe with a little bit more comfortably and speaking seemed to be easier.

The Doctor pulled the covers back over my waist and shuffled off to the side of the room where Sarek watched on. Linnea bend down and laid Spock on the bed next to me, resting him in the caress of my arm.

"Ambassador" I heard the doctor say "if your wife's vital signs and pain level continues to stabilize in the next few hours. She will be ready to go home".

I wrapped my arm around the squirming child as he nuzzled his face against the white fabric of my gown trying to find the source of food. I pulled open the neck of the gown and watched as he began to suck hungerly.

I turned to Linnea, who brushed the loose strains of hair from my face and she sat back down in the chair beside me. She had looked tired indeed, the purple circles under her eyes and the loose strains of hair in her face made me question how long I had been asleep. I hadn't seen her this tired since our university days.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked.

"23 hours" she said with a sign of exhaustion "…the doctor thought it would be best given your…injuries. You had a concussion when you both were first brought in, and the doctor recommended putting you in a medically induced coma in hopes of speeding up the healing process."

I ran my finger across Spock's cheek gently, "That would explain why things seem a little fuzzy. I don't remember anything past being carried to the deck on the ship…". I looked back up from the child, "When did you arrive at the hospital with Spock?"

"The Ambassador called me around 8PM last night to explain the situation and that more guards were being sent to the house. We were escorted here by five fully equipped Vulcan guards about an hour or so after you arrived. I suppose you would also be relieved to know that more guards are stationed around the house since… the events".

I simply nodded, not wanting to speak about the situation. Even thinking about certain parts seemed to make my ribs remember and sharp pains would run through them. I tried to think of the positives, at least we had more guards around the house. At least Spock is alright. And at least Sarek and I have only minor injuries.

I looked down at the child, "I'm very happy to see that you were in excellent hands while mommy and daddy were gone."

I looked back up at Linnea "Thank you for caring for him. And I'm so sorry for my-"

She smiled, it was a sleepy smile, but nonetheless it seemed happy. "Lady Amanda, you don't need to apologise. You are a new mother, and I can only imagine how hard it is leaving him alone being so young. It is normal for new mothers to be scared and protective."

She always knew what to say. She was always so positive, and never complained. Even though working for us at times, I'm sure she wanted to bang her head against the wall. I reached for her shoulder and rubbed it gently.

"If it is possible, Doctor." Our attention turned to the corner where the two stood and talked. "I am sure that my servant can assist you with the appropriate paperwork for dischargement. Perhaps it would be best if I stay with my wife."

After a moment, I watched the women leave, Linnea closing the door behind them. For the first time, it was just Sarek and I with Spock alone. He walked over and sat in the chair beside me, pulling it closer to the bed. My heart filled with both love and relief to see my husband in one piece. The last image I have of him in my head was him standing in front of the dead body of the human, with his hands clenched and panting. But none the less, I was relieved. The tears dropped down my cheeks as I moved my hand to rest on Spock's back.

Sarek placed his hand on top of mine and caressed it gently with his. His forefingers slid down my fingers and found mine. A surge of love and warmth ran through my body. It was strong, stronger than I felt it had been in a while.

"Why do you cry?" He asked. "It seemed only logical that you would be happy to see our son."

"These are not tears of sadness, my love" I reassured, grazing my cheek ever so gently with my finger to wipe the tear away. "They are tears of happiness, and relief. I am happy that you both are alright." I looked up at him, and only just noticed the green bruise across his eye. "Are you alright? What did the healer say?"

"The healers have said that I have sustained no permanent injuries."

"Good." I whispered, looking down at the baby who continued to suck. I couldn't help but have little images flash through my head, images of that white room, and him… the human. The screaming, lousy human. The pathetic, weak little s…

"Ashayam." his soft voice broke me from the painful memories, I felt his fingers continue to caress my two forefingers, this time there was some calm that radiated through me. The images of the human started to become fuzzy and then there were only images of us. On our wedding day on Earth. Our wedding vows ran through my mind as I caressed Spock's back.

I, Amanda, take thee Sarek to be my lawfully wedded husband. I promise to love, honour and cherish you…

I, Sarek, take thee Amanda to be my lawfully wedded wife on the planet of Earth. I promise to love honour and cherish you….

Our wedding on Earth was the happiest day of my life, next to the birth of Spock. My parents were still coming around to Sarek, nonetheless they were excited that we were allowed to have a wedding ceremony for just them on Earth. The white flowers, my white dress with lace…

"I thought that you would certainly forget our marriage vows we said during our Earth ceremony."

"I would never forget one of the sacred vows that bounded us together."

Only in private would he admit such things, and even than his voice was very light and in an almost whisper. My mouth twitched with a small smile and then I went back to my thoughts. I still couldn't help but be flooded with curiosity. How did they get on the ship? What happened? Did they hack something?

"How did they get on board?" I asked. I knew immediately when the words left my mouth that I shouldn't have asked them. I felt like you could cut the tension with a knife. I knew that Sarek probably did not wish to speak about it, but as the silent moments passed, I grew more and more despite for an answer, so I continued, "You know. Mr. Bathory and… the Pilot"

"Perhaps we should talk about the situation another…"

"Sarek…" I winced from pain, the sternness in my voice irritated my ribs. I lowered my voice in an almost whisper, "Just… tell me, please. I need to know".

He adjusted in his seat before drawing in a breath, "Someone in the Council was able to change the records and assign Mr. Bathory and Pilot L'Vek to our mission. It was made possible so that Ambassador Savol could not trace back the records."

So, I was right! Those people were finding ways to get into the Embassy. I held Spock closer to me as his sucking began to slow. I felt the fear radiate through my body, not fear for me… but for Spock. I swallowed my fears and simply said,

"I see."

I moved my fingers back to Spock's cheek, caressing gently as they continued to fill with milk.

"So…" I looked up, "You love me?"

He slowly raised his head from our son. The tips of his ears started to turn green and quickly I realized that perhaps, what I had heard was not a dream after all and that I really did hear what I thought on the deck of the ship.

"You were in an unconscious state. Your vital signs and consistent rhythm of your breathing suggested that you were in a deep sleep".

The tips of his ears were turning greener and greener. Seeing that he was embarrassed I reached my arm up to caress his cheek, but the sharp pain from my ribs stopped me. I winced and rested my hand back on the baby. Deciding to free him from embarrassment, I nodded and said,

"You're right."

I'll give him this one. For his dignity's sake. I fought back a smile and looked down at the child and found him sleeping. I knew it was time to burp him, as if he slept without being burped, he would choke or be sick. However, with my aching ribs, I was in no state to properly do it.

"Spock needs burping. I suppose I need to give you a crash course on how to help me care for him while I am recovering."

"I am sure Linnea is not preoccupied with the doctor and can offer her assistance." he said.

"Linnea is not here now Sarek." With my hand supporting Spock's back I pulled the blanket from under him and handed it to Sarek "He needs burping. Don't worry I will help you."

I helped him drape the blanket over his shoulder,

"Now, pick him up and hold him over your shoulder with one hand under his bottom and the other hand on his back and pat."

Oh, it was certainly awkward to watch. Sarek was not very hands on with Spock, it took him a couple of weeks to comfortably hold Spock while I managed to get a quick bite to eat. After a couple of moments, Sarek seemed to relax as he pat Spock's back gently., and thus I felt my heartrate return to a normal rhythm.

Thankfully no robes were damaged in the burping of Spock, and after he was burped Sarek placed him in his pram to sleep. He joined me by my side and took my hand into his and we enjoyed a moment of silence together before Linnea and the doctor came back in the room. I was free to go home.

Due to my injuries, I was unable to wear any of my dresses and when Linnea pulled out one of my old dark purple maternity dresses, I wasn't surprised.

I walked ever so slowly to the bathroom with Linnea's assistance and took a hard-long look in the full-length mirror beside the shower. I removed my gown and stood only in the hospital underwear that was up to my waist.

I was horrified to see how the ordeal left me. Bruises all over my body, with a mixture of blue and red patches over my ribs and midsection and even my back. My cheeks were swollen, and I found myself hardly recognizable. Just looking at myself for more than thirty seconds made me cry.

"Amanda." I heard Linnea's voice from behind, "It will all heal" She slowly and gently wrapped her arms around me from behind and held me while I cried silently. All the emotions from the ordeal finally released in the 25 minutes I shut myself away in the bathroom trying feverishly to hide the bruises on my face.

I finally emerged from the bathroom with Linnea after twenty-five minutes, giving up on the makeup and allowing Linnea to focus on my hair. In a low bun at the nape of my neck, and my loose purple maternity gown, I was escorted by my husband and several guards out of the hospital.

He helped me slowly into the car, and after insisting Spock rides in the car with us, I fought through the pain as I secured him in the car. Sarek slipped in on the other side of the car and the journey home began.

With Spock sleeping comfortably in his car seat, I looked out the window focusing on the beautiful sites that passed as we rode into the outskirts of Shi'Khar. As the city scenery faded and familiar mountains came into view, I felt my husband's fingers brush against my hand. I looked down as he opened his hand and revealed the blue diamond shaped pendant from earlier. I picked up the chain and held it in my palm for a moment.

"I just realized…I never officially thanked you." I leaned down and rested my head on his shoulder, "Thank you for saving me."

"It is only logical to protect one's family, Amanda."

His hand moved to my lap and he took my hand into his and began to caress it gently.

"I know" I whispered, looking up at him, "My hero."

~*The End*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happily accepting reviews, constructive criticism and wouldn't mind hearing what you think they would have done differently ;)


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